Towns, village and natural attractions in Britanny

Below are towns,villages and other natural attractions found in Brittany that are worthy of a visit whilst on holiday / vacation in Brittany.

Cap Frehel

One of the natural marvels of the Breton Coast and certainly the most spectacular is the multi coloured cliffs of the Cap Frehel. Over 70m high the cliffs are home to gulls, cormorants and some rare sea birds. On a clear evening the distant horizon sweeps round the Emerald coast from Normandy's Cotentin pennisula in the East to the Ile de Brehat in the north west. Ocassionally the channel islands can be seen.

Good paths enable the walker or rambler to cover the whole of the cape easily and during the season there are motorboat trips from Dinard.

Dinan

Dinan has to be explored on foot. The ancient ramparts and castle, the narrow, cobbled streets and the river port are delightful to walk around, browsing through the shops and restaurants.

If the hilly streets prove too tiring, the Petit Train runs from the Tourist Office or Place Duclos to and from the port with a commentary. Of particular interest are the château museum, Place des Merciers et des Cordeliers and the ancient Rue du Jerzual with its craft shops. For good views over the city walk the castle ramparts from Rue du Jerzual. The best panoromic views are from the top of the Tour de L'Houlage. It a well spent €2.80.

The town has attracted artists and crafts men for years and the Rue du Jerzual is where you'll find a healthy concentration of them. Items designed of glass, wood, silk, leather and clay are available. A great place for an original gift. Weekly market day is Thursday.

If you happen to be there in late July when its Medieval festival, the spectacular Fête des Remparts, attracts 40,000 visitors for two days of 15th century celebrations.

La Baule

Star of the Côte d'Amour coast and gifted with a breathtaking 5-km (3 mile) beach. Like Le Touquet and Dinard, La Baule is a 19th-century creation, founded in 1879 to make the most of the excellent sandy beaches that extend around the broad, sheltered bay between Pornichet and Le Pouliguen. A pine forest, planted in 1840, keeps the shifting local sand dunes firmly at bay. All in all, this can offer an idyllic stay for those who will enjoy a day on the beach, an afternoon at the shops on avenue du Général-de-Gaulle and avenue Louis-Lajarrige, and an evening at the Casino.

Lamballe

A large commercial centre, Lamballe is most famous for its national stud farm in the centre of town. Guided tours can be arranged through the tourist office to visit the stables, tack rooms and forge – the best time is after June when the stallions are in residence. TGV high speed trains run from Lamballe to Paris.

Lannion

Lannion lies on the estuary of the River Léguer. The town is built on a hillside and embraces both a host of medieval houses and narrow streets, and a thriving telecommunications industry. The town also has an airport and the Pléumeur-Bodou satellite communications centre, which can be visited between April and October.

Perros Guirec

Perros Guirec on the picturesque Pink Granite Coast, with its many sheltered beaches, is a tourist trap in season. A thalasso spa centre, various water sports and a casino add to the attractions. Boats leave here for Sept Iles, an important bird sanctuary. St Jacques church is classed as a national monument and has a wooden altarpiece dating from the 17th century. The wax museum, by the yacht harbour, is open mid June to mid September.

St Cast Le Guido

The verp popular seaside resort of St. Cast has seven beaches, popular since the beginning of the 20th century when seabathing began to catch on. Various artists such as Buffet made it fashionable. At the end of the main beach is a small hill with excellent views from the summit over the Emerald Coast and Cap Fréhel. Coastal walks along the jagged cliffs are particularly impressive.

Trébeurden

A small, pleasant fishing village that is now a summer resort town, Trébeurden makes a good base for exploring the pink-granite cliffs of the Corniche Bretonne, starting with the rocky point at nearby Le Castel. Take a look at the profile of the dramatic rocks off the coast near Trégastel and Perros-Guirec.

The scene changes with the sunlight and the sweep and retreat of the tide, whose caprices can strand fishing boats among islands that were, only hours before, hidden beneath the sea. The famous footpath, the Sentier des Douaniers, starts up at the west end of the Trestraou beach in the town of Perros-Guirec, 3 km east of Trébeurden; from there it is a two-hour walk through fern forests and past cliffs and pink granite boulders to the pretty beach at Ploumanac'h.

On a hillside perch above Ploumanac'h is the village of La Clarté, home to the little Chapelle Notre Dame de la Clarté, built of local pink granite and decorated with 14 stations of the cross painted by the master of the Pont-Aven school, Maurice Denis.

Auray A small, pretty town on the river, Auray's main attraction is its old quarters, particularly St Goustan, with its narrow alleys and streets, lined with superbly preserved 15th century houses. Once a week during July and August, there are evening performances of sea shanties and Breton songs. There is a weekly market on Mondays.

Carnac

Carnac is a popular seaside resort with wonderful beaches. It is a great place to sail with its large harbour. It is also famous for its ancient stone monuments.

Guerledan

Lake Guerledan situated in the heart of central Brittany is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions of the area. There are facilities for a wide range of water sports including; canoeing, sailing, fishing, waterskiing or simply taking in the sunshine on the shores of the lake. Its possible to tour the lake on one of the cruise boats leaving from Anse de Sordan or Beau Rivage and in summer evenings dinner cruises are available. There are a number of sites around the lake including parking. Leave the car and walk around the lake to take in the breathtaking views.

Josselin

This picturesque town is built on the banks of the River Oust and was the home of the Dukes of Rohan. The magnificent castle was started by Jean II of Rohan in the late 15th century. The castle is spectacular to view from both inside and out. The old town with its half timbered buildings is centered around the Basilica of Our Lady of the Brambles whose tower may be climbed giving views over the town and countryside beyond. Josselin is also home of the doll museum which has both permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Quiberon

Quiberon is a spa town with pearl-like beaches on the eastern side of the 16-km-long (10-mi-long) Presqu'île de Quiberon (Quiberon Peninsula), a stretch of rough coastal cliffs and beaches joined to the mainland by a hairbreadth of sand. Its dramatic western coast is dubbed the Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast), a mix of crevices, coves, and rocky grottoes lashed by the sea. The coast is dangerous and swimming is prohibited.

Quiberon's best beach is the Grande Plage (Great Beach), on the protected side of the peninsula. Boats headed for nearby Belle-Ile leave from the harbor of Port-Maria.

Cancale

Cancale, on the Emerald Coast, first became famous for its oysters which were supplied to royal tables in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, the seafront of the "oyster capital" is packed with restaurants offering the pied de cheval flat variety, sometimes so substantial they are eaten with a knife and fork. The town is not as pretty as some, but the scale and variety of the seafood make a very pleasant lunchtime visit.

The walk from the famous Cancale rock up to the Pointe du Grohin gives superb views of Mont St Michel on a clear day. The weekly market day is Sunday.

Cancale is an ancient fishing port that is still is a hive of activity today. Treat yourself to a plate of Oysters or Mussels at the cafes along the harbour. Cancale is a favourite place to visit as it has so much to offer in the form of local caught fish. Take a walk after lunch or early dinner and enjoy the fabulous views across the bay. Cancale was founded in the 6th century, and was originally a haven for pirates before becoming a base for the 'Terra-Nuevas', those sailors who thought nothing of braving the elements to go fishing for cod in the North Atlantic on the Newfoundland ('Terra Nueva') Banks.

Combourg

Situated underneath a beautiful chateau, Combourg has lakeside restaurants and a special charm. You can visit the chateau which is furnished in period style. Beautiful gardens. The market takes place on Monday mornings.

Dinard

Dinard owes its growth to a few British VIP's who launched the resort during the 19th century. Today, the local architecture is the best reminder of this Golden Age. It is an unconventional, eccentric blend of styles and building materials, reflecting the carefree, cosmopolitan attitude of days gone by.

Dinard is one of the oldest sea bath resorts in France, often called "Nice du Nord". Dinard possesses also wonderful beaches.

Rennes

The magnificent town of Rennes which dates back to the second century B.C. is now the regional capital of Brittany. The town itself offers a diverse range of attractions for the visitor. These include a wide range of architectural styles, art galleries, museums,the cathedral, remnants of the ancient fortifications and of course excellent shopping facilities.

A number of themed guided tours are run by the tourist office and are available all year round.

Rennes has a vibrant young feel to it due to its large student population; Rennes has two universities and a medical school along with numerous specialized schools. The nightlife tends to be in the cafés and bars which frequently offer entertainment in the form of traditional Breton music

In the countryside around Rennes the visitor can take time out to appreciate the calm and beauty of the surroundings. The Rennes Forest, which is a State forest offers walks of incredible beauty and is well organized with rest points and picnic areas.

St Malo

The outskirts aren’t so attractive; however, once you arrive in the old town you will be enchanted by the place. During the first two weeks of August 1944 the ancient city which had been the pivot of German resistance was pounded to ruins by American forces. Only the medieval ramparts and a few houses survived. Post War restorers rebulit the town and today St Malo looks exactly as it did before the war. Inside the walls there are a wide range of tourist shops to be browsed and restaurants to be savoured.

The walk around the walls of St Malo's old town will take around an hour depending on how often you stop to see the views (and there are plenty!). St Malo boast miles of sandy beaches.

From Saint Malo you can take a ferry boat to Jersey and Guernsey. It is possible to see the islands as daytrips if your rise early.

St Briac sur Mer

Close by the sea and Dinard and St Lunaire and on the estuary of the Fremur, St. Briac has a lively seafront area which sports interesting restaurants. Looks very pretty at nightime and has lots of little lanes to fascinate the visitor. Festival of Breton music is held here in September of each year.

St Lunaire

A fashionable small resort with beaches on both sides of its northern tip, the Pointe du Decolle. There are splendid views of long streches of the Emerald Coast from the promenades. Seen from the bridge above, a fascinating grotto known as the Siren's Cave is spectacular at high tide.

Brest

Brest has a vast, natural harbour, its chief role is as an important naval base and it took a terrible pounding during the last war. The rebuilt city is not very attractive but some parts of old Brest still remain, such as the squares and streets overlooking the harbour, the 15th century castle and La Place Guérin, the haunt of local artists and poets and a welcoming place to eat in the evening.

The new Océanopolis is well worth a visit – it is now more of a marine theme park than an aquarium. Markets are held all over the town during the week. The infamous island of Ushant, the Ile d’Ouessant, lies out to the west and now forms part of the Armorique nature reserve. The boat trip takes about an hour, and once there, you can get around by bike or minibus.

Concarneau

Concarneau is one of France’s largest fishing ports, as well as a popular resort. The view of the medieval walled town is one of the most photographed sights in Brittany and it can get very busy!

Douarnenez

Douarnenez is a quaint old fishing town of quayside paths and zigzagging narrow streets. Boats come in from the Atlantic to unload their catches of mackerel, sardines, and tuna. Just offshore is the Ile Tristan, accessible on foot at low tide (guided tours only), and across the Port-Rhu channel is Tréboul, a seaside resort town favored by French families.

Roscoff

Roscoff has a fine waterfront and a good choice of beaches, the best being the sandy one at Laber. Around the church of Notre Dame de Croatz Batz, there are some fine old houses – including the one where Mary Stuart stayed. The botanical garden, with some lovely views over the Bay of Morlaix, is a short drive south of the town. Alternatively, a 15 minute boat ride will take you to the charming Ile de Batz, with its exotic gardens and impressive lighthouse